The Academy Awards have always had a weird relationship with genre filmmaking. More often than not, promising titles are overlooked by the Academy if they happen to fall into categories like science fiction, fantasy, and horror. The latter has especially struggled to gain the recognition it deserves, but that changed in a big way at this year’s Oscars, where The Substance scored nominations in five categories.
The Substance isn’t for everyone, but its impact on this awards season can’t be overstated. The satirical body horror was nominated for Best Director, Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, and Best Actress for lead Demi Moore. That it may be the campiest, most gruesome film to get such prestigious nods is not lost on horror fans.
